2/15/16 1 Grassroots Advocacy: How to talk to your Legislator What is Grassroots Advocacy? Building relationships with lawmakers and putting a human face on your legislative interests Compelling personal stories Influencing outcomes Strength in numbers Why is this important? “One man can make a difference and every man should try” – Jackie Kennedy Power of constituency! Nothing is more important than a constituent Others are actively influencing policies that affect you, whether you are or not
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Grassroots Advocacy: How to talk to your Legislator
What is Grassroots Advocacy?
� Building relationships with lawmakers and putting a human face on your legislative interests
� Compelling personal stories � Influencing outcomes � Strength in numbers
Why is this important? “One man can make a difference and every
man should try” – Jackie Kennedy
� Power of constituency! Nothing is more important than a constituent
� Others are actively influencing policies that affect you, whether you are or not
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AIA Tips for Success Mission Statement: AIA is the voice of the architectural profession and a resource for its members in service to society Vision Statement: AIA is driving positive change through the power of design
� Separate but related to overall mission of the organization
� Sets the tone for your approach to government relations
� Outlines what the organization hopes to achieve in policy
Grassroots Nuts and Bolts: How it works
ü What do you want? ü Who should you
ask? ü How should you
ask? ü How should you
follow up?
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What do you want?
HB 943 Relating to illegal and void contracts generally, so as to provide for additional limitations on indemnification and duty to defend clauses which are void and unenforceable in contracts for engineering or architectural services
� Carried by: Carl Rogers (R-‐29), BJ Pak (R-‐108), Joe
Wilkinson (R-‐52) � The bill currently has been appointed to the
Insurance commiKee waiMng to be heard
What do you want? HB 966 Relating to the control of soil erosion and sedimentation, so as to provide for a buffer along all state waters to be measured outward from the ordinary high water mark and within which certain land-disturbing activities are prohibited
� Carried by: Johnnie Caldwell, Jr. (R-‐131), Debbie Buckner (D-‐137), Wendell Willard (R-‐51), Joe Wilkinson (R-‐52), Regina Quick (R-‐117), Stacey Evans (D-‐42)
� This bill has made it to the first readers and appointed to the Natural Resources & Environment
What do you want?
HB 592 Professional engineers and land surveyors; provide profession of professional structural engineer; provisions
� Carried by: BreK Harrell (R-‐106), Ed Setzler (R-‐35) � The House favorably reported the bill in Regulated
Industries
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What do you want?
HR 1017 Authorizes local boards of educa9on to impose, levy, and collect development impact fees and use the proceeds to pay for a share of the cost of addi9onal educa9onal facili9es; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ra9fica9on or rejec9on
� Carried by: Mike Dudgeon (R-‐25), Sheri Gilligan
(R-‐24), Geoff Duncan (R-‐26), Wes Cantrell (R-‐22) � This bill has made it to House second readers and
assigned to Governmental Affairs
What do you want?
HB 59 Relating to waiver of sovereign immunity as to actions ex contractu and state tort claims, so as to provide for waiver of sovereign immunity for declaratory judgment or injunctive relief under certain circumstances
� Carried by: Wendell Willard (R-‐51), Chuck EfstraMon (R-‐104), Jay Powell (R-‐171), Alex Atwood (R-‐179), BJ Pak (R-‐108), Beth Beskin (R-‐54)
� In 2015, this bill passed out of the House and was appointed to the Senate Judiciary commiKee
What do you want? SB 321 Relating to commerce and trade and state government, respectively, so as to provide protections against public disclosure of certain information; to expand trade secrets to include certain monetary, operational, and consumption data; to change certain provisions relating to restrictions on public disclosure of certain customer account information
� Carried by: Hunter Hill (R-‐6), Greg Kirk (R-‐13), Michael Williams (R-‐27), Fran Millar (R-‐40), Burt Jones (R-‐25), JaNice VanNess (R-‐54)
� This bill has been appointed to the Economic Development and Tourism commiKee
� The bill broadens the trade secret exemption in open records to include monetary, operational and consumption data related to a person’s use of public utilities
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Who should you ask? � Find out who your legislators
are: http://openstates.org/
� Learn about your legislator ü What is their background? ü What position do they hold in the
legislature? ü What are their politics? ü What is their history with the
issues you are advocating for? ü Are they signers/committee
members for any of your bills?
How should you ask
Your job is to bring your issues to the forefront of your legislators minds � Introduction and background on yourself � Tell them what your are advocating for � Tell them what you want � Make the ask!! � Invite them to stop by for lunch
� Room 230 whenever they adjourn
Top 5 things elected officials hate to hear
� “Here’s come reading material for you – our 800 page annual report”
� “I assume you know all about bill XB ###” � “No, I don’t have an appointment but ill be
brief” � “No, I don’t really need anything specific” � “No, I don’t represent anyone from your
district, I just thought you’d be interested in what I have to say.”
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How should you follow up? Most advocates do not follow-up on their communications with policy makers and then wonder why their legislator did not do what they were asked to do � “I’d like to follow-up by..” � “Can I get contact information for the
appropriate people in you office?” � Offer to be a resource for them � THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME AND
THE WORK THAT THEY DO!!!!
GA Capitol Logistics � Capitol address:
� 206 Washington St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30334
� Parking at Pete Hackney: � 162 Jesse Hill Dr. SE,
Atlanta, GA 30303 � Parking is 5$ for all day
cash or card
� How to get your legislators “on the ropes”
Speakers for Advocacy Day
� Representative Stacey Abrams – Minority Leader, GA House of Representatives
� Representative Ron Stephens – Chairman of Economic Development Committee, GA House of Representatives
� Dwayne Garris – Georgia State Fire Marshall
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http://gba.georgia.gov/documents/map-gba-parking-locations
https://gba.georgia.gov/documents/capitol-hill-map
Thank you!! From Peachtree Government Relations
Don Bolia 404-314-4844
Laura Norton 678-699-6426
Jennifer Winkler 504-237-3498
aiaga.org/govtaffairs
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